The Greater Ideal
by The Flippant Writer
Summary: The wars of the 41st millennium continue to rage. Those thrown into the grinder are insignificant and easily forgotten. However, there are those that are not quite satisfied with such an ignoble end.
1. Chapter 1

The Greater Ideal

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Warhammer 40,000. They are the intellectual properties of Rooster Teeth and Games Workshop respectively.

* * *

Shas'la Ruby Rose adjusted her position on the ground in what had to be the fourth time in the past five minutes. For all the advanced technology of the Tau Empire, they were still somehow unable to keep rocks from jabbing the abdomen in the gap between her armor plates. Pathfinder gear was supposed to be light, but she couldn't help but think that a little extra padding for comfort would have been a good investment.

What's worse was that this was a job suited more for Stealth Suit teams. But their teams had all been picked off by abnormally observant patrols or sheer Imperial overkill. So here she was, lying on the ground, spying on the enemy and hoping they don't find her and her team out.

 _"Are you alright, Shas'la Rose?"_

The voice of her Shas'ui filtered in through her comm piece. Apparently her fidgeting hadn't escaped his notice. She relaxed her gaze from her rail rifle's targeting optic and answered back.

"I'm fine, Shas'ui. Just a little uncomfortable here."

Her lecture senses started tingling even before the comm clicked with his impending response. His tone was gently chiding.

 _"Your momentary discomfort serves a purpose, young Gue'vesa. Keep a sharp eye and an even sharper mind, even as you bear through it."_

"Of course, Shas'ui," Ruby responded. "For the Greater Good."

 _"For the Greater Good."_

The young woman focused through her optic again. The scene hadn't changed much in the short period of time that she looked away. Imperial vehicles lining up and the men and women who fought in or beside them preparing themselves. Honest, courageous warriors who had yet to see how much more good they could do fighting for the right side. Even as vassals to the Tau, they too could climb to a position of prestige. No one had expected a human to be accepted into the renowned Pathfinders, but here she was.

It wrenched her heart to have to kill good men who didn't know any better; but until they opened themselves to the truth, she would do her duty.

There was a sudden spike in activity in the staging area. Officers and Commissars alike were shouting orders in greater numbers as Guardsmen piled into their transports and tank crews shut their hatches. Turning her weapon, she could see their Basilisks loading rounds.

"Shas'ui," Ruby spoke, "They're starting to move out. Enemy artillery is preparing to fire."

 _"Acknowledged,"_ the Tau squad leader said. There was a moment of silence as he was likely transmitting the information back to command. The comm clicked back on and Ruby prepared to hoist herself up for exfil.

 _"New orders: We are to infiltrate the enemy staging area and destroy or cripple their artillery batteries. Acknowledge receipt."_

Ruby froze as the rest of the team acknowledged their new orders. Infiltrate and destroy? As in, they get to sneak behind enemy lines? An excited grin formed under her helmet.

 _"Rose, acknowledge receipt."_

She couldn't answer fast enough.

"Acknowledged, Shas'ui! For the Greater Good!"

* * *

It was a glorious day, decided Pyrrha Nikos. The reason being that her and her squad had been attached to the Aun'el's security detachment. This was a high honor for any Fire Caste member, even more so for Gue'vesa like her and her men. It was an opportunity to further prove her commitment to the Greater Good, and a step closer to having her voice heard in the higher echelons of the Empire.

A step closer to bringing her race onto the righteous path of the Greater Good.

So it was with eagerness that the redheaded Shas'ui and her men simply stood in place at their post, pulse rifles and lasguns in hands. It was simple guard duty, but the implications behind it were great. It also had the added benefit of lowering their chance of clashing with their brethren. While Pyrrha whole-heartedly believed in the Tau'va, she did not relish in striking down fellow Humans, regardless of how they felt about her.

There was a click from her comm piece and her immediate superior's voice came through the general channel.

 _"Increase your vigilance, the Imperium moves against us. Our comrades will hold them at bay. Ensure you do the same should the worst come to pass."_

Pyrrha toggled her comm, "Acknowledged, Shas'vre. No harm shall come to the Aun'el."

As she returned her hand her pulse rifle she whispered quietly to herself, "I swear it."

* * *

A Vanquisher-variant Leman Russ rumbled through the streets of the city, following and followed by other armored vehicles of His Most Glorious Imperial Guard. Inside, its crew was only marginally occupied. The tank was a very simple machine, and having rode it into battle many times they hardly needed to be focused while merely moving it from point A to point B. Even the Commissar riding in it did not bother to give the crew a hard time about their laxity. For he had rode with this particular tank and its crew many times. He was well aware of how efficiently lethal they were.

Well, that, and he was a remarkably relaxed Commissar to begin with. He lead with a quiet assurance and made examples of cowards with cold silence. Truthfully, his disposition was more unsettling to the rank and file.

"Hey, Renny, how come we don't get to be at the front this time?"

Unsettling to all but one, that is.

Commissar Lie Ren turned his gaze down into the hatch and met the bright blue eyes of the war machine's gunner, Nora Valkyrie. An insouciant and undisciplined soldier who he would have executed long ago were he any other Commissar. But he wasn't, so he didn't. Those who might question it received a bolt pistol to the face for insubordination. Those who tried to imitate Valkyrie's informality received a bolt _round_ to the face. It had long become accepted by everyone that her insubordination was acceptable, but only hers.

And didn't _that_ create rumors.

As long as he didn't push too hard, though, the Officers and grunts alike were content with looking the other way. He was allowed his 'pet' as long as he understood the unspoken limits now placed upon him.

"That's Commissar Ren, Guardswoman Valkyrie," he corrected without any real reprimand behind the words. "And we are not at the front because we will need your Vanquisher and others like it to quickly take down Xenos armor without being immediately endangered. The other tanks will bear the brunt of the first assault, then we will punch through with all of His Majesty's fury."

A frown formed on the gunner's dirt and soot covered face, "That's dumb. Why can't we just punch through to start with?"

Were she any other soldier or he any other Commissar, her brains would have painted the inside of the tank before she could even finish saying 'dumb'. But Commissar Ren merely smiled lightly at her.

"Yours is not to question why, Guardswoman Valkyrie. Yours is but to do and die," he said chidingly.

Nora blew a raspberry and returned to looking through her cannon's optic, "That's also dumb. I'll just make the enemy die instead."

The Commissar looked back out towards the front of the column and responded, "Then fortune is with you today, Guardswoman Valkyrie."

Up ahead, a Chimera and its crew received a rail slug courtesy of the alien enemy.

* * *

 _"5 minutes to drop!"_ came the voice of the pilot over the vox speaker.

Jaune Arc took in a deep breath to steel himself. He felt his gorge rise on the exhale which he instinctually forced down. It had taken many lashings from the drill abbots to finally be able to control his motion sickness.

"If you're going to vomit, do it on the enemy!"

The blond Stormtrooper turned to his right and met the teasing violet eyes and wide grin of Scion Yang Xiao Long. An undeniably beautiful woman, but an unbelievably lethal combatant. Her volley gun - currently slung in an easy to reach position - had a truly respectable amount of kills to its name. She was a fierce soldier, an asset to Emperor and Imperium.

"I don't believe a vomit strafing run is in the Primer!" Scion Winchester shouted over the noise of the Valkyrie.

A low wave of chuckling passed among the squad. Individuality was deeply frowned upon by those in charge of the Militarum Tempestus, and usually snuffed out at the start of training. Jaune's class, however, had been unfortunate - or fortunate, rather - enough to be subjected to a particularly diluted batch of dirus. Their memories of their pasts were muddled, but not erased. That meant that their personalities remained more or less intact; something they had quickly learned to hide from their handlers' watchful eyes. Out in the battlefield, however, they were allowed a little more leniency in personal expression. As long as their orders were completed quickly and efficiently, their thinly-veiled individuality was easily ignored.

 _"2 minutes to drop!"_

The stormtrooper checked his chrono, idly noting that the rest of his Tempestus brethren should be knocking out the Tau's AA emplacements at this moment. Theirs was a suicidal mission, one that would guarantee few, if any, made it back. His team's mission was doubly so, however. One did not simply walk up and casually kidnap an Ethereal, after all.

Jaune turned and pulled the hatch lever, opening up the rear of the Valkyrie. He peered down at the earth, spotting the bright flashes that signaled that the battle had begun. A sliver of anxiety wormed its way into his heart, an unfortunate flaw that even the infamously harsh training of the Schola Progenium couldn't stamp out entirely. There was a sudden nudge from behind and he turned to once again meet the Scion Xiao Long's eyes. This time they were firmly supportive. The message was clear.

'I've got your back.'

The anxiety faded into nothingness and he nodded his appreciation towards his subordinate. She winked in return, a casual gesture of her's.

 _"30 seconds to drop!"_

Jaune adjusted his grav-chute one last time before turning to his men.

"Let's show these Xenos why they should fear the Emperor's children! Forward!"

The light at the lip of hatch turned from red to green.

 _"Green light! Drop, drop, drop!"_

Without hesitation and with only a marginal amount of fear, Tempestor Jaune Arc jumped out of the aircraft, followed closely by his men.

* * *

The roar of battle was evident even from a distance. It was simply an observation, though. The open battlefield never called to Inquisitor Blake Belladonna. Her work was more easily completed from the shadows, something that endlessly frustrated her retinue of Sororitas.

Speaking of...

Amber eyes turned to regard the Battle Sister at her side. The snow-haired woman eyed the horizon with crossed arms, her face seemed composed but her eyes were slightly narrowed. A sure sign of frustration to anyone who spent an appreciable amount of time with her. Unlike the Blake, Sister Superior Weiss Schnee longed for the fury of open battle. Alas, the Inquistor's word was law, and so her power rapier remained inactive at her hip.

As if sensing her gaze, Sister Schnee glanced over momentarily and spoke up.

"I am fine, Inquisitor. I cannot lie and say that I do not wish to be out there, delivering His wrath to the inhuman cur out there, but my place is at your side."

Blake smiled lightly and turned to observe the distance again, "And I am ever grateful for your loyalty. We have but to wait for this battle's conclusion before we can move on."

At the reminder of why they were there, a scowl crossed over the Sister's face.

"I beg your pardon, Inquisitor, but I must question why you would like to add mere Guardsmen to your retinue. They're crass, ill-trained, and prone to cowardice."

"Exaggerated assertions, Sister, but not entirely unfounded," Blake conceded. "Which is why we're not here for mere Guardsmen. We're here for their elite."

"Then perhaps it would have been best to not send them on a suicidal recovery mission," Weiss pushed.

The Inquisitor move her head slightly to stare chidingly at the other woman, "If they cannot survive a simple snatch and grab of a low-ranking Ethereal, then I have no use for them. Any further questions, Sister Schnee?"

Realizing that the raven-haired women had reached the limit of her patience, Weiss wisely and gracefully backed down.

"None, Inquisitor. Thank you for enlightening me."

Silence returned as they both simply waited out the conflict.

There was a sudden tickle at the back of Blake's mind. A small brush against her psychic mind that informed her that all was not well. She slowly turned her gaze towards the thundering batteries not seven hundred meters behind her.

"Sister Schnee," she said, "Call your squad. It seems you will have your blood today."

* * *

 **A/N: Eeeeyyyy. My writing has taken a nosedive because I have a job that requires a long commute, and I've finally decided to regularly go to the gym. So don't get too excited.**

 **This came about because NaNoWriMo is here and I decided to try and get back on track. However I severely overestimated the time I would have available for writing, so I lost before I even started. I kinda like this idea, so I'll try to post another chapter or two. It's just something I cobbled together so there's no context in the grand scheme of things. No mention of when or why this is happening (as if war really needs a 'why' in 40k), so don't go asking me when this is happening and don't try to figure it out. Doesn't look like it'll be a long term thing but who knows.**


	2. Chapter 2

The Greater Ideal

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Warhammer 40,000. They are the intellectual properties of Rooster Teeth and Games Workshop respectively.

* * *

The constant thundering of the Basilisks rattled Ruby's bones from her overwatch position. That's not to say she found it annoying, quite the opposite in fact. If there was one thing she respected about the Imperial Guard, it was their tendency towards giant cannons and gross overkill. It made her blood sing with approval. It must be a human thing, she supposed.

One of her squadmates was covering the door behind her, ensuring that no one would sneak up on her. Down below, the rest of her squad was moving swiftly towards the battery. They would have to quickly overwhelm the Guardsmen and plant their charges onto critical parts of the artillery pieces before making their escape. The Devilfish was waiting a distance away, safely cloaked and ready to extract them. Her comm quietly clicked.

 _"Shas'la Rose, there is an Imperial Commissar near the third cannon. We are marking him now."_

There was a quiet ping from her helmet's targeting optic as it picked up a markerlight being planted. She shifted slightly and let the lit up form of the Commissar come into her sight. The advanced targeting suite accessed the markerlight's data and provided information for optimum accuracy.

 _"We will begin the assault when you have neutralized him. On your mark, Shas'la."_

Ruby took a deep breath to quell her nervousness and carefully lined up her shot, pointless though it may been. The slug - propelled at unbelievable speeds - would kill him even if it just passed by. She was just a perfectionist when it came to this sort of thing.

The weapon jolted against her shoulder and a sharp crack split the air as she squeezed the trigger. The Commissar was dead before the rifle had even finished recoiling, his torso obliterated by the hypersonic projectile. An unfortunate Guardsman who had been running by had also been severed at the waist. The other Guardsmen who had taken notice were in a clear state of shock and the Pathfinders used it to their advantage. They advanced quickly, their pulse carbines perforating the stunned soldiers before turning on the rest.

Lasfire suddenly filled the air as other Guardsmen noticed the enemy in their midst. Ruby watched carefully as the Tau team moved tactically from Basilisk to Basilisk, suppressing the enemy and planting charges. Photon grenades kept the enemy from closing into close combat range. As they moved from one to the next they detonated the controlled explosives, crippling the vehicle's weapon.

Throughout all of this, Ruby maintained a careful overwatch, occasionally dropping Guardsmen who were trying to bring heavier weapons to bear. She felt confidence bloom in her chest as she watched the artillery pieces go down one by one.

Then everything went to Warp in a handbasket.

From her vantage point, Ruby could make out movement in further from the site of the battle. It looks like reinforcements were on the way. Focusing in on the movement, a lead weight appeared at exactly what the reinforcements were composed of. Clad in the Imperium's vaunted powered armor and bearing menacing weapons, a squad of human females were rushing towards the Pathfinders. They weren't Space Marines, but they were far more than mere Guardswomen, that was certain.

She quickly toggled her comm piece, "Shas'ui, hostile reinforcements are approaching from the East. Heavy infantry."

 _"Acknowledged, Shas'la. We are nearly finished here."_

Ruby returned her sight towards the power armored women. Near the front of the squad was a woman with long white hair pulled into an offset ponytail. Her armor was noticeably different from those of her comrades, meaning she was likely the leader. Or at least someone of distinction. Which meant she was a prime target.

A foot slammed into Ruby's side, throwing her away from her spot and separating her from the rail rifle.

"It seems I've found a mouse cowering in the shadows."

The Gue'vesa leapt into a standing position - desperately trying to ignore the pain that was blossoming in her side - and found herself staring down the suppressor of an autopistol. She moved her gaze up and met the amber eyes of her assailant. They were sharp, but entirely unconcerned. She had long, raven hair topped off with a bow. Her armor was pitch black and lined with a dull gray, neither colors reflecting anything. What made Ruby's situation turn from from desperate to hopeless was the stylized, golden 'I' emblazoned on her armor's left breast.

An Inquisitor. The most dangerous agents the Imperium had to offer.

Her eyes flicked towards the doorway that her watcher was supposed to be covering. His body was sprawled out on the ground with a massive hole through his helmet. Cyan blood pooled on the floor, leaving no doubts as to his condition.

A smokey voice suddenly pulled her from her observations.

"Gue'vesa, is it?" she asked. "I believe that is the Tau term for your kind. We simply call you traitors."

Ruby remained silent, wary of provoking a violent response.

"Tell me, little traitor, what drives you to turn your back on your own people."

A long moment passed before it became clear that the Inquisitor was actually expecting an answer.

"The Imperium doesn't care about us," Ruby said. "We're all tools there. Worthless pawns to be sacrificed. Not like the Tau Empire. In the Empire, everyone is valued. No one is expendable."

The other woman chuckled, "Is that so? Well, I'd rather not waste time disabusing you of such delusions. I think putting you out of your misery would be a far more merciful decision."

Ruby threw herself to the side, just in time as the Inquisitor depressed the trigger. Without wasting precious seconds, she ran out of the room, ducking and swerving to avoid the pistol's whispers of death.

* * *

Blake wasn't fussed that the traitorous whelp had gotten away, and rather than chase after her, only casually refreshed her Ripper pistol's magazine. The Xenos squad assaulting the battery now lacked heavy weapons support, making them easy pickings for Weiss and her squad. She turned her gaze to the abandoned rail rifle on the ground with a pleased smile. Her Mechanicus companion would be delighted to have more alien technology to pick at. Heresy, yes. But Blake did not care for Ecclesiarchal approval as much as she cared for victory.

The Tau weapon was scooped up and cradled under arm, the other reaching up to toggle her vox-bead.

"Sister Weiss, I've eliminated their overwatch. The rest are ripe for purgation."

The voice that came through was laced with thinly-veiled anticipation, _"Thank you, Inquisitor. They will be purged with haste."_

'But with much relish' went unsaid. It didn't matter to Blake; it was rare that her Battle Sisters were able to indulge in combat, so she let them have their fun when they could.

* * *

Subtlety was not in Weiss' repertoire, but neither was recklessness. So she and her squad rushed in, but they did it with a plan.

Sister Coco ran out first, hefting her heavy bolter with little effort and spraying bolts with minimum discretion. Against what she knew to be the elite of these particular xenos, it was useless as anything more than suppression. It wouldn't keep their heads down forever, though, and so Sister Velvet darted past Coco with flamer in hand. The first xeno to raise its wretched head was met with a jet of cleansing flame. A jolt of satisfaction shot down Weiss' spine as the xenos jerked and fell onto its back, the remainder of its head was an immolated lump.

Velvet swept her flamer from side to side, forcing a few of the aliens to reposition further from their comrades and keeping the rest pinned down. The rest of the Battle Sisters moved in shortly after and used the shock and awe their comrades instilled to take position and fire at the saboteurs. Weiss' could hardly suppress a savage smirk as plasma from her pistol found its mark on a Pathfinder's shoulder. The vile alien, clearly in agony from her holy plasma, fell back into cover. Another alien attempted to move towards its injured comrade while two more provided covering fire. It only made it halfway before a bolt blew its leg off from the calf. Unfortunately, it only endured its well-deserved pain for a moment before it was blown in half by Sister Nebula's Condemnor-pattern bolter.

The surviving Guardsmen took advantage of sudden reinforcements and began to surround the xenos. Lasfire and bolts lanced through the air, keeping the Tau from trying to prevent the encirclement. They had no where left to run.

 _'Excellent,'_ Weiss thought to herself. She thumbed the activation rune on her prized power rapier, _Myrtenaster_. The long, slender weapon hummed as lightning arced up its length before settling into a thin blue field.

"Hear me, xenos!" she called out above the din of combat. "I am Sister Superior Weiss Schnee! Humble servant of The God-Emperor, right hand of Inquisitor Belladonna, and your executioner!"

She casually stepped to the side to avoid a burst of pulse plasma fire. The offending xenos received three lasers and two bolter rounds for its trouble. The ivory-haired Sister continued as though her life wasn't almost snuffed out.

"You intend to stop His children from accomplishing their Manifest Destiny, unaware that you are less than vermin! Stand, you cur, and be met with the only fate that you deserve!"

Aided by the ancient technology of her power armor, she shot forward with a furious zeal towards the injured xenos. The Guardsmen and her squad wisely shifted their fire to avoid hitting her. The alien popped up from behind its cover and had nearly lifted its weapon all the way up before her rapier took its head from its shoulders. She didn't even slow down as she whipped it off of her sword and charged the next one.

This one was more prepared and let off a controlled burst of fire in her direction, which was joined by another burst from one of its allies. Weiss threw herself into a roll to narrowly avoid the fire and came back up at running speed. She double tapped her plasma pistol to force the alien's ally to duck while she continued her charge. The xeno was able to loose another two shots but they only killed off a fraction of her momentum before she ran it through with her sword. The molecular-tearing field nearly bisected it as she tore it up and through the foe, leaving only one more xeno.

Before her and her squad could move in for the kill, it briefly lifted its weapon above cover to launch something from the underslung chamber of its weapon. There was a deafening burst of noise and a binding flash of light. Weiss blindly threw herself behind nearby plasteel creates, clipping her hip as she did so. She trusted her sisters to be equally competent. The Guardsmen on the other hand...well, she wouldn't be particularly surprised to see more human corpses when her vision cleared.

As the ringing in her ears began to die down, an increasingly loud humming sound made itself known. Having studied the foes of the Imperium extensively, she knew the Tau favored grav-tanks. Extrapolating from the information of known Pathfinder deployments, it was almost definitely a Devilfish. They were attempting to extract the last alien.

When her vision returned to her, she only had time to recognize a shimmer in the air before pulse plasma filled the air in a furious barrage. She rolled over onto the other side of her cover to avoid the storm. Fortunately, it seemed more concerned with saving the Pathfinder than it did in causing damage. The alien armor uncloaked and flew as close as it could to its lone ally before opening the hatch and spraying plasma fire at the Imperials.

"Sister Dew," she vocalized into her vox-bead, "Purge the vehicle. Everyone else, lay down covering fire."

 _"At once, Sister,"_ came Sister Dew Gayl's response.

As Weiss and the rest of the squad raised themselves from their cover to fire at the vehicle and the rapidly retreating Pathfinder, Dew ran forward to bring her meltagun in firing range. She came within range just as the xenos threw itself into the open hatch of the Devilfish and the transport started to pull back. As it pulled away, Dew hit it with her meltagun, creating a line of slag along the side of the vehicle. It wasn't enough to stop it, however, and it flew out of range and began to recloak.

Weiss, however, was unwilling to let them escape.

Holstering her plasma pistol and tightening her grip on her sword, she vaulted over her cover and sprinted at an intercept angle. Reaching it just before it could gain top speed, Weiss leapt up and landed on the hood of the transport just as it finished cloaking. The grav-lifts shrieked as they went into overdrive to compensate for the sudden weight, which killed its momentum and routed power from the stealth system. Armor plating warped as she knifed her fingers into a seam and gripped tightly. She cocked her right arm back and aimed _Myrtenaster_ where she knew the pilot was located. Before she could drive her weapon into the cockpit, the hatch flew open and a figure popped out.

Weiss lifted her face towards the new arrival and was taken aback. The face staring back at her wasn't the blue of the Tau. It was a soft peach tone, instead, and it had a pointed nose as opposed to the Tau's vertical slit. The face staring back at her was a human's. A human who was pointing a pulse carbine right at her.

Indescribable fury filled Weiss all at once and she immediately changed her target.

"TRAITOR!"

She leapt forward in an attempt to reach the young woman and skewer her. However, the moment she released her grip on the Devilfish it jerked to the side and threw her off. It also threw off the traitor's aim and her burst flew off in a wide arc. By the time Weiss pushed herself back onto her feet, the Devilfish recloaked and disappeared into the city streets.

For a long moment, she stared in the direction the transport had fled with a furious snarl on her face. The image of the human female clad in alien armor was burned into her eyeballs and only fed her anger. Finally, she took in a deep breath and her snarl lowered into a frown. She turned around and took a quick headcount of her squad before speaking into her vox-bead.

"Inquisitor, we drove off the xenos. No casualties on our end. The Tau suffered heavy casualties but the survivors got away. We... _I_ have failed you."

There was a moment of silence before the Inquisitor answered, _"Success is not determined by the amount of blood spilt, it is determined by the objectives accomplished. You've accomplished in disrupting their sabotage operations and you slew irreplaceable enemy assets. You have won today, Sister Weiss. Take pride in that."_

Such praise from an agent of the God-Emperor himself did indeed fill her chest with pride. The Inquisitor was not one for senseless compliments.

"Thank you, ma'am. We await your orders."

 _"Render aid where possible to the Guardsmen. Give the hopeless their last rites. Regroup at my Valkyrie when you're done."_

Weiss nodded firmly, "It will be done, ma'am."

She turned towards her squad and motioned her head towards the Guardsmen. They all displayed understanding and spread out among the injured, giving aid to those who could be helped and delivering the Emperor's Mercy to those who couldn't. As lowly as she viewed the Imperial Guard, they were still humans. Loyal servants of the Immortal Emperor and the instruments of His will. Unlike that vile snake in human skin, she thought venomously.

This suffering wouldn't end until every last xeno and traitor lay dead at the Imperium's feet. It was her cherished duty to hasten that promised hour.

* * *

 **A/N: Heyo, I managed to make another chapter in the same month. Please point out any spelling or relevant canonical errors so I can improve.**


	3. Chapter 3

The Greater Ideal

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Warhammer 40,000. They are the intellectual properties of Rooster Teeth and Games Workshop respectively.

* * *

Gunner Valkyrie grinned widely as the Vanquisher cannon roared and cracked open another Hammerhead.

"YEAH, GOT ANOTHER ONE!" she cried.

The sight of another Tau vehicle going up in flames spurred the Guardsmen forward. The fire warriors peppered them with lethally accurate pulse fire to try and stave them off but the loss of their armored support was decisive. The 205th Remnant Irregulars pushed forward with lasguns ablaze. The Leman Russ escorting them pulled up and fired its battle canon to devastating effect.

Nora eagerly turned her cannon towards the vulnerable xenos. Right before she could hit the firing stud, Commissar Lie spoke up.

 _"Gunner Valkyrie, stay your hand,"_ he vocalized into his vox-bead. _"There's no sense in wasting valuable cannon ammunition on mere rank-and-file."_

"But..."

She tilted her head back and up with wide, pleading eyes. Ren smiled gently at her and shook his head. Nora's face morphed into an irritated pout and she redirected her gaze forward while crossing her arms petulantly. Meanwhile, the tank moved forward with the charging Guardsmen and sprayed bolter fire at the crumbling enemy line. The Fire Warriors began pulling back as the Valeans closed the distance with them.

Opportunity reared its beautiful head when Devilfish made their appearance and began loading up xenos. The tank came to a halt and she had an enemy vehicle lined up in her sights before Ren could begin to vocalize the order. She jammed her finger down on the firing stud with a savage grin, sending a round down range and making the whole vehicle rock with the recoil. A gleeful giggle left her lips as it tore the Devilfish in two and slaughtered the Warriors that were loading into it.

Experienced hands guided the turret over to the next target. A round destroyed one of the Devilfish's thrusters as it tried to make an escape. It flew into a spin before crashing into a nearby building. Just as Nora was prepared to deliver the finishing blow the Leman Russ fired first and put it down for good.

"Hey!" Nora shouted angrily, "That was mine!"

She turned to look back at the commissar, "Commissar Renny, can you tell that tank to stop stealing my kills?"

 _"Your zeal for purging the unclean is admirable, Gunner Valkyrie, but you need not hog all the glory for yourself. You will have many more opportunities before the day is over."_

Nora huffed at him. He hadn't even bothered looking at her while responding. She returned to her previously petulant stance and waited impatiently for enemy vehicles to return. There would have to be more or she was going to be very unhappy.

* * *

Commissar Lie watched dispassionately as the last of the Devilfish departed at top speed. No doubt they were repositioning their gun line and reinforcing it with more vehicles. They would have to trudge through another hail of plasma and slugs. Unfortunate, but they had more than enough bodies to send them scurrying again. He toggled his voxcaster onto the command net.

"All troopers advance. Emperor-willing we can catch them before they completely consolidate.

The Remnants - a truly uninspired name for the people of Remnant - quickly and eagerly moved forward. He could tell they were frustrated that the xenos had pulled back before they could catch them in close combat. While all Remnants were good shots they truly thrived in fierce melee. It made them a perfect counter to the cowardly Tau. A voice filtered through his comm bead, breaking him from his thoughts.

 _"Commissar, we have vis-_ _"_

The report was immediately rendered redundant by a hail of fire and the screams of those hit. Ren calmly drew his chainsword directed it firmly towards the enemy.

"Forward, soldiers of the Imperium! Advance swiftly!"

It was less of an order and more of a morale booster, as they were already darting around and through buildings to close in on the enemy. The standard Leman Russ moved up the street with impunity, its armor was just able to withstand the bursts of micro-plasma. His tank, on the other hand, remained still. They were to keep an eye out for enemy armor. To his suspicion, there were none present. That meant that either they had run out of vehicles to reinforce this sector - a likely circumstance, but one he wasn't willing to stake his life on - or they had something else planned.

His paranoia was vindicated only a moment later. As the Leman Russ pulled into a range that it could accurately fire all of its weapons, four large objects dropped down from the sky and surrounded it. Before the crew could even register the threat the towering figures opened fire. The Imperial tank went up in flames in an instant and Ren realized what he was looking at.

Crisis suits.

"Enemy Dreadnoughts!" he shouted into his vox bead, "All squads focus fire!"

The Vanquisher's cannon roared just as one of the advanced suits turned towards them. The battlesuit disappeared in the blink of an eye, its armor was no match for the Titan-killer round. The Remnants around them turned their lasfire onto the other two. They might as well have been throwing rocks for all the good they were doing, though. Two of suits lifted large rotary cannons and unleashed a hail of plasma on its assailants, cutting them down with ruthless efficiency. The suit that had assaulted the tanks vulnerable rear armor launched itself into the air just in time to avoid the rapid fire of the Vanquisher's heavy bolter.

Ren whipped out his laspistol and fired repeatedly at the airborne enemy as it turned around and dropped towards him. The Tau war machine dropped heavily onto the Vanquisher, one leg resting on the turret, and aimed a fusion blaster directly at his face. Ren knew he wouldn't be able to jump out of the tank in time.

Even if he could, he would rather accept death than abandon Nora.

Before the blaster could even whine, the turret turned sharply - or as sharply as it could - and threw the Crisis suit off balance. The blast shot wide as the cannon swept its feet out from under it. The pilot was in shock at the sudden move and couldn't adjust in time to prevent itself from tumbling off of the front of the tank. Ren seized the opportunity immediately.

"Drive forward!"

His driver didn't hesitate and pulled forward. Over 60 tonnes of armor and ammunition rolled over the battlesuit and rested there. The alien armor held for a moment as the walker tried to escape before it buckled with a short but loud wrench of metal. The suit immediately stopped struggling.

"Stay on top of it!" Ren ordered. He didn't want to get off the suit only to find out the hard way that its pilot was just playing dead.

The other two suits were still wreaking havoc among the Guardsmen. One had taken a good hit from something bigger than a lasgun as it had lost its burst cannon, but it still retained a devastating plasma rifle on its other arm. The odd angle the tank was resting at would prevent them from getting a good shot at it so he turned his attention towards the suit that was still in one piece.

"Gunner Valkyrie, destroy the suit to our left!"

 _"Yes, sir!"_ came the gleeful response.

The cannon began turning towards the Crisis suit when a shadow fell upon them. Before he could look up something landed several meters in front of them, sending tremors through the ground. What lifted itself to full height sent a thrill of momentary terror through Ren's body followed by cold resolve. Standing taller than Crisis suits and armed with a large cannon, he came face to face with a Tau titan. He didn't hesitate for a moment.

"Valkyrie, reprioritize to the Titan! Driver, pull back!"

There was a metallic crunch as the Vanguisher backed off of its last victim, and the cannon turned towards the large walker. The xenos Titan took an intimidating step forward and raised its other arm up. Rather than a weapon, there was large shield like construct attached. Its purpose was made evident when the Vanquisher cannon roared and slammed into a forcefield. While it failed to do any damage, the force behind the shot was sufficient enough to send the Titan back a step. Ren had little doubt that the shot had also taken a good chunk out of the shield.

That wouldn't be good enough, however. As the cannon was being reloaded the Titan lowered its shield generator and brought its massive cannon to bear. A krak missile suddenly flew in and impacted the cannon arm. The battlesuit rocked with the explosion and it was momentarily distracted. It gave the tank's loader enough time to finish reloading.

"Fire!" Ren said firmly and loudly.

The round punched through the battlesuit's torso and sent it falling onto its back. The impact briefly shook the earth and sent dust flying up. The commissar fought to keep from visibly sighing in relief. He had to look as though this result was to be expected.

But Golden Throne, was he relieved.

* * *

 **A/N** **: I'm sure you've noticed that this is my first time writing firefights. The practice will come in handy though.**


End file.
